The present invention relates to wheel hubs for relatively lightweight vehicles and more particularly to a wheel hub assembly which can act to absorb shock.
Shock absorbing devices for use in connection with a variety of moving vehicles such as cars, trucks, bicycles and the like have taken a variety of forms in the past. Conventional shock absorbers typically comprise complex assemblies of mechanical components which are relatively heavy when assembled, occupy a great deal of space on the vehicle when installed, are independent assemblies requiring independent connection to the vehicle and the like. The present invention provides a lightweight shock absorbing assembly incorporated into the wheel hub of a vehicle, most preferably for use in connection with relatively lightweight vehicles such as manually driven cycles, wheelchairs, motorcycles, mopeds, toy vehicles and the like and provides a unique and novel wheel hub shock absorbing assembly over related hub assemblies such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,827 (Seford); 4,405,032 (Welschof et al.); 4,549,590 (Sahagian); German Patent 3,637,214 and European Patent Application No. 85/850320.4.
Additional references such as those of record in the parent application to this application are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,536,817 (Decker); 2,715,024 (Nydegger et al.); 4,595,242 (Wehmeyer); British Specification No. 581,845 (Wright); British Specification No. 11,582 (Jelly); British Specification No. 11,582 (Kuchen); Italian Patent No. 415,873 (Adami); French Patent No. 2,482,526 (Perrin). These references all disclose hub apparati which are structurally and functionally distinct and deficient relative to the present invention at least in terms of shock absorbence, maintenance of hub alignment, arrangement of components and workability.